Liposuction
Recovering from Liposuction Surgery in New York
What happens immediately after the Operation?
After your surgery, depending on which area you've had treated, you will find that a snug elastic compression body stocking or garment will be in place. This must be worn over the treated area to control swelling and bleeding, and to help your skin shrink to fit your new contour. You will need to wear this garment compression continuously for one week (apart from taking it off for a shower) after surgery, then just in the daytime for a few weeks more.
Ill fitting garments may lead to the development of undesired folds in the skin, which subsequently harden and form ridges, and which can last up to 3 months.
What kind of effects can I expect after Surgery?
After the surgery you will notice that you will be draining some fluid from your tiny incisions. This is because there is almost always some fluid build up that develops in the treated area in the first 24-36 hours postoperatively. Your incision sites therefore will act as "drainage holes" in this instance and are therefore invaluable in reducing overall post operative swelling and bruising.
Drainage of the fluid is possible because, unlike traditional teaching. These incisions are very small, and heal quite quickly on their own with minimal scarring.
Despite wound drainage, you are still likely to experience swelling and bruising to varying degrees. Sometimes this bruising is quite spectacular. Bruising can take up to 3 weeks to disappear although very occasionally a light tinge of yellow can still be seen in the skin up to 2 months following treatment. Tissue swelling, while expected, can last up to 4 weeks. In fact because of this swelling you will probably not notice any change in your size immediately after surgery. It is important to remember that when the abdominal area is treated, the swelling and bruising can migrate downwards to the groin and genital region. In men this would mean substantial swelling, bruising and discomfort of the external genitalia. This usually lasts about 7-10 days, and one may benefit from the use of support underwear instead of boxer shorts, in this instance.
At around 2-3 weeks after surgery, you will discover that the areas treated will feel hard and irregular. This is part of the normal healing response. The body starts to lay down scar tissue (which is hard in nature) in response to surgery in an attempt to "heal" itself. This scar tissue can also block lymph drainage channels temporarily and occasionally cause the skin overlying the treated area to look dimpled or take on an "orange skin" appearance. Thankfully the scar build up ceases and eventually resolves completely, along with its manifestation. However this period of hardening and irregularity can take up to 4 months to resolve.
You will also experience sensory changes in the area treated. This may result in numbness of the skin or alternatively it may feel hypersensitive. Either way this is usually temporary and returns to normal in about 6-8 weeks.
What are the scars like?
Scars are not a complication but a normal event after any surgery. Thankfully scars in liposuction surgery are tiny. Depending on the area(s) needed to be treated, scars about 3-4 mm in length will form. These are usually placed in natural folds of the skin where possible. Generally about 2-3 incisions are required for any given area.
Thankfully the scars in liposuction are short and generally heal quite well, gradually fading with time. However it is important to keep in mind that this may take up to two years to complete. If you are of a darker skin type however, then expect your scars to be darkly colored for a longer period of time (about 3 years). Daily massage of the scars during this time period is advised to expedite and facilitate this process. You must understand however that no responsible surgeon will ever be in a position to predict any scars ultimate appearance.
How long before I Get back to normal?
The recovery time varies with how many areas are treated and the type of activity the patient intends to resume. It is important to realize that although only tiny incisions are made, liposuction creates a large wound hidden under the skin and therefore as healing is a gradual process, adequate rest in the days after surgery will be required. However you should start walking around as soon as possible to improve the circulation and avoid stagnation of blood which could lead to the formation of blood clots. Most patients resume light activities within 2-3 days and depending on their work can be back between 5-7 days. However because of variations in swelling and bruising, sometimes this may be delayed up to 7-10 days. Exercise is usually recommenced at about 10 -14 days. Remember every individual is different and great variations occur.
Liposuction Summary
Liposuction is the most popular cosmetic surgery procedure in the United States. It is a highly effective technique for giving you a new body contour with minimal scarring. In most instances it improves body image by making you feel better and more comfortable about your body both with and without your clothes.
As long as your expectations are realistic, and understand that the final results may take a few weeks before becoming apparent, you should be happy with your new shape!